Gavin Wood's Podcast

On this episode of Gavin Wood’s Countdown podcast, guest host Lee Simon catches up with iconic Australian singer-songwriter, Kasey Chambers.

Kasey Chambers is one of Australia’s most beloved country music artists, with a career spanning over two decades. Her debut solo album, The Captain (1999), catapulted her to fame, earning her widespread acclaim and multiple ARIA Awards.

Known for her raw, emotional song writing and distinctive voice, Kasey has released a string of hits, including Not Pretty Enough, Pony, and True Colours, solidifying her status as a leading figure in the country and roots music scene.

With over 14 studio albums and numerous accolades to her name, including being inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, Kasey continues to tour and create music that resonates deeply with fans around the world. Her music blends elements of country, folk, and rock, touching on personal experiences, relationships, and social themes.

25 years into her solo career and Kasey is still sharing her story, publishing her second book and releasing a new album, Backbone, which Kasey will take on tour next year.

Listen to the podcast now to hear Lee Simon and Kasey Chambers discuss her incredible career, influences.

On this episode of Gavin Wood’s Countdown podcast, Gavin catches up with Australian record company legend – Bill Duff.

With a career spanning decades, Bill Duff is a true icon of the Australian music industry. His contributions to record companies and artist development have left an indelible mark on the landscape of Australian music. Bill worked behind the scenes with major artists, helping to shape the careers of some of the most successful musicians in the country and abroad, including Elton John, Cat Stevens, and Skyhooks.

From discovering new talent to managing the intricacies of the recording business, Bill’s influence has been felt far and wide. His passion for music and dedication to nurturing home-grown talent has made him a beloved figure within the industry, and his insights continue to resonate with both artists and executives.

Listen to the podcast now to hear Gavin and Bill’s chat about his incredible journey through the highs and lows of the music business:

Boyzlife, the musical supergroup formed by Brian McFadden of Westlife and Keith Duffy of Boyzone, are thrilled to announce their upcoming tour to Australia and New Zealand in 2025.

Brian Nicholas McFadden (born 12 April 1980) is an Irish pop singer and television presenter. He rose to fame in 1998 as a member of the Irish boy band Westlife. Following his departure from the group in 2004, McFadden released his debut solo album, Irish Son. He has since released four studio albums: Set in Stone, Wall of Soundz, The Irish Connection, and Otis.

Keith Peter Thomas Francis Julian John Duffy (born 1 October 1974) is an Irish singer, actor, radio and television presenter and drummer who began his professional music career as part of Irish boy band Boyzone alongside Ronan Keating, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately in 1993. The band decided to focus on solo projects in 2000 since which Duffy has taken acting roles in soap operas such as Coronation Street and Fair City. He has also presented The Box and You're a Star.

Duffy has been an autism awareness campaigner since his daughter was diagnosed with the condition at age 18 months, and acts as the patron for Irish Autism Action holding regular fundraising events and informational talks.

Duffy was the winner on the British reality series The Door in 2010 and came third in the first series of Celebrity Big Brother in 2001, and in the second series of Splash! in 2014

Melissa Morrison Higgins (born 19 August 1983), stage name Missy Higgins, is an Australian singer-songwriter and musician. Her Australian number-one albums are The Sound of White (2004), On a Clear Night (2007) and The Ol' Razzle Dazzle (2012), and her singles include "Scar", "Steer" and "Where I Stood". Higgins was nominated for five ARIA Music Awards in 2004 and won 'Best Pop Release' for "Scar". In 2005, she was nominated for seven more awards and won five. Higgins won her seventh ARIA in 2007. Her third album, The Ol' Razzle Dazzle, was released in Australia in June 2012 (July 2012 in the US). As of August 2014, Higgins's first three studio albums had sold over one million units.[1]

Higgins's fourth studio album, Oz, was released in September 2014 and consists of cover versions of Australian composers, as well as a book of related essays.

Alongside her music career, Higgins pursues interests in animal rights and the environment, endeavouring to make her tours carbon neutral. In 2010 she made her acting debut in the feature film Bran Nue Dae and also performed on its soundtrack.

Darren Stanley Hayes (born 8 May 1972) is an Australian singer, songwriter, music producer and composer. He was the frontman and singer of the pop duo Savage Garden until their disbandment. Their 1997 album Savage Garden peaked at number 1 in Australia, number 2 in the United Kingdom and number 3 in the United States. It spawned the singles "I Want You", "To the Moon and Back", and Australian and US number 1 "Truly Madly Deeply". The duo followed the success of their debut album with Affirmation (1999), which provided additional hits such as Australian and US number 1 "I Knew I Loved You", and Australian number 3 "The Animal Song". Savage Garden parted ways in 2001.

Hayes released his first solo album Spin in 2002. The album sold two million copies worldwide, debuted at Number 2 in the UK and number 3 in Australia. It delivered the hit single "Insatiable". Hayes's second album, The Tension and the Spark, preceded by single "Pop!ular", was released in 2004. Hayes parted ways with his record label Columbia Records in 2006 and started his own independent record label, Powdered Sugar, from which he would release his third and fourth solo albums, 2007's double-album This Delicate Thing We've Made and 2011's Secret Codes and Battleships. After a decade-long hiatus, Hayes returned in 2022 with his fifth studio album; Homosexual, which was released in October 2022, spawned the singles "Let's Try Being in Love", "Do You Remember?", "Poison Blood", "All You Pretty Things" and "Feels Like It's Over". Hayes' autobiography is due for publication by Penguin Books in 2024.

In 1970, Brewster, with his brother Rick Brewster and Doc Neeson, formed Moonshine Jug & String Band in Adelaide, the band evolved into The Keystone Angels in 1973 An appearance at the 1975 Sunbury Pop Festival, resulted in touring with AC/DC, and with Chuck Berry as his backing band. By the end of 1975 they become The Angels. Other members included Chris Bailey on bass guitar. Brewster left the band and joined The Party Boys in February 1986. He remained with The Party Boys until mid-1989, before teaming up with his friend, Alan Lancaster to form The Bombers.

Marty Rhone was born as Karel (or Karl) Lawrence van Rhoon on 7 May 1948 in the Dutch East Indies  (Indonesia) His father was Eddy Emile van Rhoon, his mother was Judith Olive.  She was a singer and actress, who met Eddy through the Sydney jazz scene; he was a visiting pianist.   The couple married in 1947, and migrated to Australia on 21 April 1950 and briefly lived in Sydney and Brisbane, and then moved to Darwin.  

Rhone was taught piano by his father but he preferred singing. In August 1959, aged 11, he first performed publicly at Darwin's Mitchell Street Town Hall in Around the World in 80 Minutes – a charity variety concert – alongside his father on piano and his mother. After he finished primary school, the family moved to Sydney.

In mid-1961, Rhone appeared on a talent quest segment of ATN7-TV series, Tarax Show, and was offered a singing spot on a children's show, 

During 1966 Marty Rhone and The Soul Agents supported The Rolling Stones on the United Kingdom rock group's tour of Australia. They also performed on the bill of the P.J. Proby Show at the Sydney Stadium with Wayne Fontana, Eden Kane and The Bee Gees appearing.  Rhone moved to Melbourne and issued five singles on Spin Records but had "limited success".

In March 1970, Rhone was conscripted for National Service until 1972. During his service he attended the Royal Military College, Duntroon, as a member of their band, for 18 months.

From April 1972 to July 1973 he acted in the Australian stage version of Godspell at The Richbrooke, Sydney with Rod Dunbar, Peita Toppano and John Waters. The Australian cast soundtrack album was issued as Godspell: a Musical Based on the Gospel According to St. Matthew on His Master's Voice. He attended the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and in July 1973 he released a new single, "Goodbye in May". He composed the music for Ruzzante Returns from the Wars, which starred Ivar Kants  Rhone followed with appearances on TV soap operas, Number 96 (1974) and Class of '75 (1975).

By mid-1975 Rhone had signed with M7 Records and issued his next single, "Denim and Lace", which peaked at No. 8 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart. It was promoted on the Class of '75 soundtrack album. It was co-written by L Lister (aka Jack Aranda) and F Lyons (aka Shad Lyons). Lister and Lyons also produced Rhone's debut album, Denim and Lace, recording at Alberts Studio 139. At the end of the year "Denim and Lace" was the second highest selling single in Australia. His next single, "Star Song", reached the Top 50, the next two were less successful, while the last one for the year, "On the Loose" reached the Top 40. Of the four singles, "On the Loose (Again)" – co-written by Bryan Dawe and Steve Groves (ex-Tin Tin)– was used by Rhone to win the 1976 Australian Popular Song Festival and represented Australia at the World Popular Song Festival.  In June 1977 he had another hit with "Mean Pair of Jeans", which reached No. 10. In July 1978 Rhone relocated to London. In June 1979, Rhone took the role of Lun Tha in the London Palladium presentation of The King and I alongside Yul Brynner and Virginia McKenna. By September 1981 he had returned to Sydney.

In 1987 Rhone became a business manager for a trio of brothers, the Australian boxers: Dean, Guy and Troy Waters. In December 1988 Rhone organised the "Battle on the Beach" for January 1989 with Dean Waters, as Australian heavyweight champion, to fight New Zealand's title holder.

In 2007, Rhone  performed a repertoire of tracks by Cliff Richard; a gig at the Crown Casino, Melbourne, in late 2008 it was filmed and broadcast in February the next year as Marty Rhone: A Tribute to Cliff Richard and The Shadows.  In May 2011 on the Cliff & Dusty presentation he performed with Sheena Crouch as UK pop singer Dusty Springfield and in June 2012 with his own "musical theatre fantasy" covering Richard's and The Beatles' material in Cliff Joins The Beatles.

In August 2016, Rhone released 50th Anniversary Album, a career spanning compilation album.

Irwin Thomas (born Irwin Thomas Whittridge; 6 January 1971) is an American-born Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist. He performs professionally using the stage name Jack Jones from when he was the lead vocalist-guitarist in the band Southern Sons (1990–1996).

His other bands collaborations include Electric Mary, She Said Yes and Ahmet Zappa. He is known for his collaborations with John Farnham and Rick Price.

He released his debut solo album, The Evolution of Irwin Thomas, in 2002.

Dear Enemy was an Australian indie pop band formed in Melbourne in 1980. The band released a studio album, Ransom Note, in 1984 on EMI and Capitol Records that featured its best known single, "Computer One", a No. 15 hit on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart in January 1984. "Computer One" also reached #59 on the Billboard US Mainstream Rock chart in March, 1984. Dear Enemy disbanded in 1988.

Graham William Nash OBE (born 2 February 1942) is an English-American musician, singer and songwriter. He is known for his light tenor voice and for his contributions as a member of the Hollies and Crosby, Stills & Nash.

Nash is a photography collector and a published photographer. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Crosby, Stills & Nash in 1997 and as a member of the Hollies in 2010.He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2010 Birthday Honours List for services to music and to charity. Nash holds four honorary doctorates, including one from the New York Institute of Technology, one in music from the University of Salford in 2011 and one in fine arts from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Susan Kay Quatro was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1950, and grew up pursuing performing. Suzi was playing bongos on stage with her father’s jazz band by the age of eight, and by 14 she’s changed her name to Suzi soul and had left school to become a Go-Go dancer.

By the age of 15, Suzi was fronting the band the Pleasure Seekers, with her sisters. The band toured the country and were invited to Vietnam to entertain troops, before changing their name to Cradle in the early 1970’s and transitioning to a more hard-rock sound.

It was performing with Cradle where Suzi was first noticed by British producer Mickie Most, who was interested in Suzi as a solo performer. Mickie invited her to London and introduced her to professional songwriters Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn, which turned out to be a winning formula.

In 1973, “Can the Can” flew to number one and went on to sell two and a half million copies worldwide. Between 1973 and 1980, Suzi featured in the British charts for no less than 101 weeks, and has sold to date over 55 million records.

Since then, she has released fifteen studio albums, ten compilation albums, and one live album. Other songs, including "48 Crash", "Daytona Demon", "The Wild One", and "Your Mama Won't Like Me", also charted highly overseas.

While Suzi enjoyed great success both in the UK and Australia, she is mostly known in the US for her cameo on hit TV show Happy Days as Leather Tuscadero. However the appearance might’ve helped her duet "Stumblin' In" with Smokie's lead singer Chris Norman reach No. 4 in the US.

Suzi is still active, writing, broadcasting, recording, and this year she’s embarking on her 38th tour of Australia.

On this episode, Gavin catches up with Australian media personality and radio broadcaster – Philip Brady OAM.

Philip Brady OAM is one of the country’s most experienced and familiar radio broadcasters, with a career spanning more than 6 decades.

From Kennedy to Vizard, Newton to Hogan, Philip has collaborated with Australia’s most iconic personalities.

Philip’s career started in tandem with the early beginnings of Australian television transmission in the late 1950s.

Like many of Australia’s media greats, he got his start providing voiceovers on Channel 9 and making appearances on Graham Kennedy’s In Melbourne Tonight.

Philip’s most substantial work came from his nearly 30-year position as host of 3AW’s Nightline program.

Just last year, Philip celebrated 65 years in the media industry, and is still co-hosting Remember When on 3AW with Simon Owens.

In 2018 Philip was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the broadcast media industry

Beyond broadcasting, Philip is a long-time supporter of The Epilepsy Foundation of Victoria and is one of the Australia Day Ambassador Program’s longest-serving members.

Listen to the podcast now to hear as Gavin catches up with one of Australia’s most enduring media personalities – Philip Brady:

On this episode of Gavin Wood’s Countdown podcast, Gavin catches up with American singer, songwriter and composer - Jimmy Webb.

Jimmy Webb achieved success from a young age, aged just 21 when he won his first Grammy Award, winning Song of the Year in 1967, for the song, “Up, Up, and Away”.

As well as “Up, Up, and Away”, Jimmy has written numerous platinum-selling songs, including "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "MacArthur Park", "Wichita Lineman", "Worst That Could Happen", "Galveston" and "All I Know".

Throughout his career he collaborated with top tier musicians such as Glen Campbell, Michael Feinstein, Linda Ronstadt, the 5th Dimension, the Supremes, Art Garfunkel and Richard Harris.

In 1986 Jimmy was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and in 1990 he joined the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. A celebrated artist, Jimmy picked up the National Academy of Songwriters Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993, the Songwriters Hall of Fame Johnny Mercer Award in 2003, the ASCAP "Voice of Music" Award in 2006 and the Ivor Novello Special International Award in 2012.

Jimmy is the only artist ever to receive Grammy Awards for music, lyrics and orchestration, and according to BMI, his song "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" was the third most performed song in the 50 years between 1940 and 1990.

Philip Kenneth Collen (born 8 December 1957) is an English musician who is best known as the co-lead guitarist for the rock band Def Leppard, joining the band in 1982 during the recording of the Pyromania album. Prior to joining Def Leppard, Collen had performed with a number of bands in the burgeoning British glam metal scene. Outside of Def Leppard, with which he still records and performs live, he has been involved in a number of side projects most notably the trio Man Raze, with which he is the lead singer and sole guitarist.

Born Christopher John Cheney in 1975, Chris graduated with a VCE from Wheelers Hill Secondary College. Chris played guitar since age 6 and studied jazz at Box Hill Tafe in 1994-95. However, it was at a barbecue Chris' was introduced by his sister to Scott Owen. In 1992 they formed a cover band called 'The Runaway Boys' taken from a Stray Cats song of the same name which performed covers of the band's songs with the odd original song thrown in.

In 1994 he got his first album with The Living End who formed with a drummer called Joe Piripitzi who was later kicked out for musical differences. In 1995 the EP 'Hellbound' was released and The Living End was made. In 1996 they released another EP called 'It's For Your Own Good' and had success by sending a T-shirt to Green Day for a gig as their supporting act.

In 1997 after Joe was replaced with new drummer Trav Demsey, The Living End cut their first single, entitled "Prisoner Of Society/Second Solution". Two songs from their debut album. This followed up with more success of their self-titled album 'The Living End'. In 2000 this followed with the album 'Roll On'.

In 2001 Chris was involved in a severe car accident with his girlfriend Emma who escaped with minor injuries but left Chris in a wheelchair with a broken leg and 3 pins to replace some of the muscle that was damaged. After 2 years of resting and writing songs for the new album they were back in the studio where Trav quit due to a disliking of heavy touring and to spend more time with his family. The Living End were stranded. They spent two days auditioning 40 drummers of which the first was Andy Strachan. Their current drummer. The boys hit the studio and recorded a 14 track album entitled 'Modern ARTillery' which was released in 2003. In 2004 the boys hit the studio once more to record 2 more tracks, "I Can't Give You What I Haven't Got" and "Bringin' It All Back Home". This was a greatest hits album called 'From Here On In: The Singles (1997-2004)'. The same year he formed tribute super group The Wrights with Nic Cester (Jet) - Bernard Fanning (Powderfinger) - Phil Jamieson (Grinspoon) - Kram (Spiderbait) - Davey Lane (You Am I/The Pictures) and Pat Bourke (Dallas Crane). He performed with the band as the lead and rhythm guitarist for parts 1 and 3 respectively and later released Stevie Wrights hit Evie with all three songs of "Evie: (Let You Hair Hang Down)", "Evie: (Evie)" which Chris was not involved with and "Evie: (I'm Losing You)".

It wasn't until 2005 the boys hit the studio again to record the fifth album entitled "State Of Emergency" released in 2006. After almost a year and a half of touring Chris left the band and took up yoga and painting while his other band mates hit the surf. It wasn't until late 2007 that they hit the studio again to write and rehearse songs which resulted in the band's sixth studio album 'White Noise' with a single of the same name.

Since then the boys have been performing to the general public throughout Australia, Japan, USA and more.

Peter first came to prominence with Stylus in 1975, releasing four albums with hits such as ‘Summer Breeze’ and ‘World of Make Believe’ before the band split in 1980.

A successful solo career followed throughout the 80’s, with a top 20 hit for his first release, ‘Fear of Thunder’, and success with the song ‘Blame it on the Weather’ – not only for Peter but also for John Farnham, whose voice, incidentally, Peter’s soaring vocals are often compared to. Peter also became a regular on TV shows such as The Midday Show, Hey Hey It’s Saturday, Tonight Live, and Carols by Candlelight at the Myer Music Bowl.

Other albums released include ‘Still Alive’ (with a reformed Stylus); ‘Changes’, ‘Bac2basix’ – a roots album filled with wonderful storytelling songs such as ‘Pioneers’, ‘Family’ and the ‘Poor Man’s Al Jolson; a jazz standards album, ‘About Time’; and ‘Home Grown’ – Peter’s own tribute to some of his favourite Aussie artists.

Over the last decade, Peter has toured both solo and with Stylus, and with his close friend, Australian rock legend, the late Jon English. Their collaborative show, Uncorked’, filled with nostalgia and good humoured banter, delighted audiences everywhere throughout Australia.

Peter works with many charities and has written songs for the ‘Make a Wish Foundation’ and the ‘Sacred Heart Foundation’.

His album, ‘OBSERVATIONS’ – which he describes as ‘a collection of songs that look at the heart of our everyday existence, some personal, some not’ – was released in October 2016. “I am extremely proud of this album,’ says Cupples. “I truly believe it is probably one of the best things I’ve ever done.”

He is now bringing a night of great entertainment to the Taphouse with the songs of Burt Bacharach. From 'Say a Little Prayer' to 'What the World Needs Now' enjoy the songs you know and love.

Melbourne-born sisters, Vika and Linda Bull, grew up singing at church, and were taught how to harmonize by their Tongan mother.

The talented siblings first made their mark as members of Joe Camilleri’s The Black Sorrows in the late 1980s, also providing backing vocals for other artists including Hunters and Collectors, Archie Roach, John Farnham, Deborah Conway, and Paul Kelly.

In 1994 they left the band to launch their own career as a duo, releasing their debut self-titled album that same year. The album was produced by Kelly, and peaked at No. 7 on the ARIA Albums Chart, reaching certified platinum and nominated for an ARIA Music Award in 1995 for 'Breakthrough Artist – Album'.

Vika and Linda had four singles, “Hard Love”, "We've Started a Fire", "When Will You Fall For Me", and "House of Love”, the latter two were featured as backing music on the soap opera, Home and Away.

The pair have since had near-inseparable careers, releasing eight studio albums and twenty-one singles, collaborating closely with the likes of Paul Kelly, Diesel and Renée Geyer and cementing their place as national musical treasure.

Vika and Linda have a long and decorated music career, with constant critical acclaim, including four ARIA Award nominations for Best Adult Contemporary Album, a Special Recognition Award at the Pacific Music Awards, and performed the national anthem at the AFL Grand Final.

In 2019 they were inducted into the Music Victoria Hall of Fame and in 2020, their retrospective album 'Akilotoa: Anthology (1994-2006) entered the Australian charts at number one, making Vika and Linda the first Australian female duo to debut at No. 1. They are currently finalists for the Artistic Excellence Award at the 2023 Australian Women in Music Awards.

Their music has traversed genres over the past three decades, incorporating rock, country, gospel, reggae, R&B, soul and blues, as well as paying tribute to their rich Tongan heritage.

Tommy Emmanuel was a working professional age of 6, playing rhythm guitar in his family’s band as they toured Australia.

He has never had a formal guitar lesson, in fact, he doesn’t read music or know music theory. However, he’s considered one of the modern masters of the guitar, with Chet Atkins naming Tommy as a Certified Guitar Player, an honour bestowed to only 4 other people.

Tommy’s guitar skills grew from natural talent and decades of practice. His playing incorporates a multitude of musical influences and styles, including jazz, blues, bluegrass, folk and rock, this type of country finger-style playing is at the core of his technique.

After years as a popular sideman and songwriter, the two-time ARIA Award winner launched his solo career in 1988 with Up from Down Under. As a solo performer, he never plays to a set list and uses a minimum of effects onstage. He usually completes studio recordings in one take and has released a total of 37 albums.

A four-time winner of Australia's Best Guitarist Award, Tommy has been nominated for 2 Grammy awards, won 4 Country Music Awards and was inducted into the Australian Roll of Renown in 2011. Tommy won Australian performer of the year in 1994 and 1996, and was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2010.

Lee (Vassilis) Simon was born in 1954 in Melbourne to Greek immigrant parents. At age five, he changed his first name to Lee, as "it was easier to use." He worked as an audio engineer from 1971 at local radio station, 3AW. His first job as a DJ was for radio 2BE in Bega, New South Wales followed by stints at 7HT (Hobart), 2NX (Newcastle) and 2SM (Sydney).

Simon returned to Melbourne as a DJ and announcer for radio station 3XY (from 1975) and then EON FM (from 1980), where he became their programme director. He hosted Nightmoves, claimed as Australia's first adult and album-orientated music TV program for HSV 7, from 13 May 1977.

Initially trialled for six weeks it was subsequently transmitted nationally via the Seven Network for late Friday night programming from about midnight to 1:00 a.m. By 1982 it was being broadcast on Network 10 at about 10:30 p.m. Monday nights. In 1985 it was re-branded as Rockit for the Nine Network.

 In 1995 Simon, as Program Director, was instrumental in Triple M Melbourne (formerly EON FM) beginning live radio broadcasts of AFL matches. As from 2010 he presented the retro music programme, Rock of Ages on Triple M. In 2018 he retired and was inducted into the Australian Commercial Radio Awards Hall of Fame later that year.

Mike Brady was born in England and moved with his family to Australia when he was 11 years old. His recording career began in the mid 60’s with the formation of MPD Ltd (Mike, Pete & Danny).
After MPD Ltd, Mike spent the majority of his time building his career as producer and writer of jingles for Television and Radio. One such jingle brought Mike back into the public spotlight. He was asked to record a promotional song for Channel Seven’s Football program. This song being “Up There Cazaly” went on to be the biggest selling local single of its time, with sales in excess of 250,000 and has become the unofficial Anthem of all Australian Rules Football Fans. 
Over the years, he has been responsible for some of Australia’s most catchy advertising jingles.
During the 70’s Mike formed his own Record Label and Record Production Company, Full Moon Records., and publishing company, Remix Publishing. Two hugely successful singles released by Full Moon were Mark Jackson’s “I’m An Individual” and Joe Dolce’s “Shuddap You Face”. “Shuddap You Face” broke the record previously held by Mike’s “Up There Cazaly” as the biggest selling single in Australian History and has been translated into many different languages. 
Mike and his company have produced albums for artists such as Tina Arena, Colleen Hewett, Mark Gillespie and Mike Rudd and Bill Putt. Many of Mike’s songs have been recorded by leading artists including Tina Arena, and John Farnham. 
In June 2013 Brady was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for services to the community and to music as a composer and performer.
On Monday 3rd July 2017 Mike was honored to be named Victorian of the Year in a ceremony in Melbourne.

Bill Armstrong - Legendary Music Producer was born  in 1929.

The Melbourne audio technician-turned-producer has been at the forefront of the local music industry for more than 60 years.

In the mid-50s, Armstrong was working as a "balance officer" at ABC Radio, producing live-to-air programs, outside broadcasts and variety shows and working with the likes of Graham Kennedy. In 1956, he was charged with overseeing the PA system at the main stadium of the Melbourne Olympic Games.

In 1965, Armstrong opened his own studio in a small terrace house in Albert Rd, South Melbourne. One of the first pop recordings made there was the backing track for The Easybeats' 1965 breakthrough hit "She's So Fine", which was overseen by British-born engineer Roger Savage.   Over the next few years the studios  expanded into six adjoining properties, including four studios equipped with 4-track machines. In 1968 Armstrong installed one of the first 8-track recorders in Australia, followed by 16 and then 24-track machines, together with state-of-the-art mixing desks in the early '70s. During this time, many of Australia's most distinguished producers and engineers worked there. The original engineering team were Roger Savage, Allan Pay and Philip Webster. Armstrong's studios soon overtook two other major studios in Australia at the time - the EMI and Festival Records facilities in Sydney - to become the most sought-after recording venue in the country, and the "engine room" of Australian pop and rock recording. Many of the most popular and successful Australian recordings from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s were made there, including hit albums and singles by The Masters Apprentices, The Twilights, The Groove, The Groop, Zoot, The Aztecs, Russell Morris, Brian Cadd, Daddy Cool, Franciscus Henri, Hans Poulsen, Spectrum, John Farnham, Skyhooks, Little River Band, The Sports, Models and many others. Many famous overseas artists also recorded there while visiting Australia, including Earl Hines, Cleo Laine and John Dankworth, and Stephane Grapelli.[2]

Armstrong left the company in 1977 and stuck with the music industry, working as the manager of SBS Radio in Sydney and Melbourne before establishing the first commercial FM radio station in 1980, EON FM, now Triple M. His contribution to the industry has been well recognised – an ARIA for Lifetime contribution to the Australian Music Industry, the Advance Australia Award for outstanding contribution to the industry and commerce, an APRA for Outstanding Contribution to the music industry and the National Film and Sound Archive's Cochrane-Smith award for his contribution to Sound Heritage, among them.

Bill Armstrong - Legendary Music Producer was born  in 1929.

The Melbourne audio technician-turned-producer has been at the forefront of the local music industry for more than 60 years.

In the mid-50s, Armstrong was working as a "balance officer" at ABC Radio, producing live-to-air programs, outside broadcasts and variety shows and working with the likes of Graham Kennedy. In 1956, he was charged with overseeing the PA system at the main stadium of the Melbourne Olympic Games.

In 1965, Armstrong opened his own studio in a small terrace house in Albert Rd, South Melbourne. One of the first pop recordings made there was the backing track for The Easybeats' 1965 breakthrough hit "She's So Fine", which was overseen by British-born engineer Roger Savage.   Over the next few years the studios  expanded into six adjoining properties, including four studios equipped with 4-track machines. In 1968 Armstrong installed one of the first 8-track recorders in Australia, followed by 16 and then 24-track machines, together with state-of-the-art mixing desks in the early '70s. During this time, many of Australia's most distinguished producers and engineers worked there. The original engineering team were Roger Savage, Allan Pay and Philip Webster. Armstrong's studios soon overtook two other major studios in Australia at the time - the EMI and Festival Records facilities in Sydney - to become the most sought-after recording venue in the country, and the "engine room" of Australian pop and rock recording. Many of the most popular and successful Australian recordings from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s were made there, including hit albums and singles by The Masters Apprentices, The Twilights, The Groove, The Groop, Zoot, The Aztecs, Russell Morris, Brian Cadd, Daddy Cool, Franciscus Henri, Hans Poulsen, Spectrum, John Farnham, Skyhooks, Little River Band, The Sports, Models and many others. Many famous overseas artists also recorded there while visiting Australia, including Earl Hines, Cleo Laine and John Dankworth, and Stephane Grapelli.[2]

Armstrong left the company in 1977 and stuck with the music industry, working as the manager of SBS Radio in Sydney and Melbourne before establishing the first commercial FM radio station in 1980, EON FM, now Triple M. His contribution to the industry has been well recognised – an ARIA for Lifetime contribution to the Australian Music Industry, the Advance Australia Award for outstanding contribution to the industry and commerce, an APRA for Outstanding Contribution to the music industry and the National Film and Sound Archive's Cochrane-Smith award for his contribution to Sound Heritage, among them.

John St Peeters was born in Melbourne, in 1956, to Italian-born parents, Pasqualino Lo Piccolo – a greengrocer – and Giovanna (née Basile). He grew up in Richmond with a younger sister, Josephine "Jo".  Early in his career he performed as Johnny Lo Piccolo. From the age of 11 he played piano accordion on TV talent quests, such as Brian and the Juniors, New Faces, variety shows, including In Melbourne Tonight, and at clubs in Melbourne.

John St Peeters and the Sharells were formed in 1974, as a vocal trio, with two female vocalists, Niki Nicholls and Kim Julin. They performed "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" on the Ernie Sigley Show in May 1975. They toured Australia, North America and South-East Asia before issuing a single, "Take Me if You Want Me", in October on the Astor label. He resumed his solo career in 1976 with a disco-based single, "You Know that You're Sexy", in November of that year.

Peeters signed with EMI Records, which issued his next three singles, "Shiny Side Up" (June 1977), "Fadin' Away" (October) and "Love the Way You Move" (December):  At the King of Pop Awards of 1977 St Peeters won Most Popular New Talent. In the following year his contract was taken up by RCA Records. He released his next single, "Deep Inside of Me", co-written by Peeters and Aldo Lennard,  He followed with his debut album, So Many Ways (1978), produced by Spencer Lee. In 1979 he formed the John St Peeters Band and toured the Australia club circuit.  He appeared on teen pop music TV show, Countdown, from 1976, he co-hosted an episode in June 1978. He later reflected "The biggest thrill of all, though, was making it on the biggest television music show that existed during those years — Countdown, hosted by Molly Meldrum. What a fantastic experience that was." He premiered his single, "Wonder World", on the show in March 1980; it is the theme song for Simon Townsend's Wonder World, a children's variety TV series.

For over 40 years Shane Howard has established himself as one of Australia's most

influential writers and singers and created a uniquely Australian voice.

From the red heart, where he penned his enduring song ‘Solid Rock, Sacred Ground’, to the

wilds of Tasmania that gave birth to ‘Let the Franklin Flow’, Howard's songs have created a

new map of Australia.

His songs challenge existing social paradigms and dig down into what it means to be a

modern Australian. They also reach across the globe and champion the cause of the

common people, the environment and the injustices of colonisation.

He's played for Prime Ministers, Aboriginal Elders and Environmental campaigners, from

concert halls to protest sites and remote campfires.

Howard released his 14 th solo album, ‘Dark Matter’ in 2020

In 2022, his legendary band, Goanna, embarked on an extensive national tour, paying

homage to their classic Spirit of Place album and reigniting the Goanna spirit that

championed Aboriginal rights and environmental justice in the 1980’s.

Howard is a respected senior statesman in Australia who continues to work as a poet,

musician, writer, singer, producer and mentor.

He is currently writing his autobiography.

Mark Dixon Kitchen (born 8 September 1950), known professionally as Mark Gable, is an Australian musician who serves as the frontman and a founding member of the rock band The Choirboys. The band was formed in Sydney in 1979.

Mark was born in Captains Flat, New South Wales.

Starting in 2012, Mark hosted The Awesome Eighties on 107.7 2GO in The New South Wales Central Coast, with assistance from Mike Duncan. In 2008/9 Gable hosted and co-produced a weekly series for smoothfm, The Sunday Session where he interviewed many international and local artists. The show was aired on a Sunday afternoon in Sydney and Melbourne.

In 2008 Gable become an ambassador for Beyondblue.

Gable is married to country singer-songwriter Melinda Schneider, they were married on September 10 2022 on Killcare Beach NSW after 14 years together. They had their first child Sullivan James Gable in August 2012. Gable has five children from a previous relationship.

Tim Finn was born in  New Zealand.  In 1971 he completed a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Auckland. It is there that he met Mike Chunn, Robert Gillies, Philip Judd and Noel Crombie. Phil and Tim formed a band called Split Ends, which became Split Enz before they started to tour Australia.

Finn recorded his first solo album, Escapade, in 1983. This album was very successful in Australia and New Zealand,  he then decided to leave Split Enz in 1984.   In early 1985, Tim moved to London.  He  wrote some music for movies, and acted in a few movies. His role in The Coca-Cola Kid was about five minutes long. He had a bigger role in the movie La Donna della Luna (The Moon Woman).

In late 1989, he went to live in Melbourne. He recorded his third album, Tim Finn. In early 1990 he joined Crowded House, the group Neil had formed after Split Enz split up. The band recorded Woodface with him. He left Crowded House after the album.

Because of their success, Tim Finn and Neil Finn were made OBE for services to New Zealand music in the 1993 Queen's Birthday Honours List.

The album Finn was released in 1995. This was an album made by Neil and Tim as the Finn Brothers. Also in 1995, Finn worked with singers Andy White and Liam Ó Maonlaí. They formed the band ALT. They released the album Altitude, and more recently collaborated with Andy White to release New Single 'The Happiness Index'.

Counting Crows is an American rock band from San Francisco, California. Formed in 1991, the band consists of guitarist David Bryson, drummer Jim Bogios, vocalist Adam Duritz, keyboardist Charlie Gillingham, multi-instrumentalist David Immerglück, bass guitarist Millard Powers, and guitarist Dan Vickrey.Counting Crows gained popularity following the release of its first album, August and Everything After (1993). With the breakthrough hit single "Mr. Jones" (1993), the album sold more than 7 million copies in the United States. The band received two Grammy Awards nominations in 1994, one for "Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal" (for "Round Here") and one for "Best New Artist". The follow-up album, Recovering the Satellites, reached number one on the US Billboard 200 album chart and reached number one in several other countries. All but one of their subsequent albums reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200 list.

Their hit singles include the aforementioned "Mr. Jones" as well as "Rain King", "A Long December", "Hanginaround", and a cover version of Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi".Counting Crows received a 2004 Academy Award nomination for the single "Accidentally in Love", which was included in the film Shrek 2. The band has sold more than 20 million albums and is known for its dynamic live performances. Billboard has also ranked the band as the 8th greatest Adult Alternative Artist of all time.

The band's most recent full album, Somewhere Under Wonderland, was released in 2014. They released a four-song EP in 2021 titled Butter Miracle:Suite One, which is expected to be expanded to a full album.

Born on 10 May 1946 in Manchester, Graham was given his first guitar at the age of 11 and started playing with local bands at 15. He received early encouragement to develop his musical talent from his mother Betty and father Hymie, who also contributed with suggested lyrics and song titles.

Graham played with various Manchester bands before forming The Mockingbirds in 1965 (with Kevin Godley on drums), and when the record label Columbia rejected Graham’s first single composition for the band, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The song, For Your Love, became a huge hit for The Yardbirds.

Working by day in a men’s outfitters shop and playing by night with his semi-professional band, Graham went on to write a string of hits, such as Pamela, Pamela for Wayne Fontana, For Your Love, Evil Hearted You and Heart Full of Soul (The Yardbirds), Bus Stop and Look Through Any Window (The Hollies), No Milk Today and Listen People (Herman’s Hermits), and Tallyman for Jeff Beck.

In 1972, along with Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme, he formed 10cc and enjoyed a string of Top 10 hits, including three No 1s – Rubber Bullets, I’m Not In Love and Dreadlock Holiday – along with Donna (No 2), Art For Art’s Sake and Good Morning Judge (both reaching No 5), The Things We Do For Love and I’m Mandy Fly Me (6), and The Wall Street Shuffle (10).

It’s the enduring popularity of these tracks, along with others such as Bridge To Your Heart from Graham’s time in Wax with the late Andrew Gold and songs from film soundtracks including Animalympics, that led to the formation of Heart Full of Songs. Needless to say, the band also features tracks from Graham’s acclaimed solo albums, And Another Thing, Love And Work, Play Nicely And Share and 2020’s Modesty Forbids.

Patrick Simmons born October 19, 1948 is an American musician best known as a founding member of the rock band The Doobie Brothers (whom he was inducted as a member of into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020. Born in Aberdeen, Washington, he has been the only consistent member of the band throughout their tenure.

In 1970, a California-based power trio consisting of Tom Johnston, Skip Spence, and John Hartman, teamed up with Simmons to form a group together. They would call themselves “The Doobie Brothers”, after their friend Keith "Dyno" Rosen, who either lived with or next to the band told them

Why don't you call yourself the Doobie Brothers because you're always smoking pot?

Simmons wrote and sang many songs for the Doobie Brothers, including "South City Midnight Lady", "Dependin' On You", "Echoes of Love", "Wheels of Fortune" and "Black Water", the group's first #1 record.

Patrick sang lead on many Doobie Brothers songs, such as Listen to the Music.

The group's 1978 studio album, Minute by Minute, which reached number one for five weeks, and won the band a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group, while the single "What A Fool Believes" from the album won three Grammys itself.

The Doobie Brothers were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 200 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on November 7, 2020.[2][3] The group has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide.

Mark Jeremy Seymour (born 26 July 1956)   is an Australian musician and singer best known for his work as the frontman and songwriter of rock band Hunters & Collectors.

In 1997, whilst still officially part of Hunters & Collectors he released his debut solo album King Without a Clue, which earned him a nomination in the ARIA Awards for Best Male Artist (as well as Best Debut Single with Last Ditch Cabaret). In 1998, Hunters & Collectors officially split up.

Seymour later released a live DVD/CD in 2001 entitled One Eyed Man, Embedded in 2004, and 2005's Daytime & the Dark. His fourth solo studio album, titled Westgate was released in June, 2007.

Seymour continues to tour, focusing on mostly small acoustic performances.

On this episode of Gavin Wood’s Countdown podcast, Gavin chats to Gary Puckett, solo artist and the lead singer of 60’s American pop/rock group Gary Puckett & The Union Gap.

Active in the late ‘60’s Gary Puckett & The Union Gap rose to prominence worldwide with hit singles "Woman, Woman", "Young Girl", "Lady Willpower", and "Over You", all achieving top 10 chart positions in the US, UK, and here in Australia.

Gary Puckett & The Union Gap were one of the few artists whose first five releases went gold. Not even Elvis accomplished this.

In 1968, Gary Puckett & The Union Gap had 6 consecutive gold records and sold more records that year than any other recording act, including The Beatles.

Gary played a command performance at the White House for Prince Charles and Princess Anne by special invitation of President Richard Nixon.

Once The Union Gap disbanded in 1971, Gary went on to work in theatre and perform solo. He was billed for the first Monkees reunion tour in 1986 and made more than 50 television appearances.

The Gary Puckett & The Union Gap's "Greatest Hits" album is one of CBS's bestselling "Collector's Series" albums today.

1927 are an Australian pop rock band formed in 1987 with James Barton on drums, Bill Frost on bass guitar, his brother Garry Frost on guitar and keyboards, and Eric Weideman on vocals, guitar and keyboards. They were popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s with their major hit songs "That's When I Think of You", "If I Could", "Compulsory Hero" and "Tell Me a Story". Their multi-platinum number-one album, ...ish (1988) was followed by The Other Side (1990). At the ARIA Music Awards of 1989 they won two categories: Breakthrough Artist – Album for ...ish and Breakthrough Artist – Single for "That's When I Think of You". At the 1990 ceremony they won Best Video for "Compulsory Hero", which was directed by Geoff Barter. In 1992 the group released a third studio album, 1927, which reached the top 40; but they disbanded the following year. Weideman reformed 1927 in 2009 with a new line-up.

Norman John Rowe AM (born 1 February 1947)[1] is an Australian singer and songwriter of pop music and an actor of theatre and soap opera for which he remains best known as Douglas Fletcher in 1980s serial Sons and Daughters. As a singer he was credited for his bright and edgy tenor voice and dynamic stage presence. Many of Rowe's most successful recordings were produced by Nat Kipner and later by Pat Aulton, house producers for the Sunshine Records label. Backed by his band, The Playboys, Rowe released a string of Australian pop hits on the label that kept him at the top of the Australian charts and made him the most popular solo performer of the mid-1960s. Rowe's double-sided hit the A-side, a reworking of the Doris Day hit "Que Sera Sera" /with b-side a cover of Johnny Kidd & the Pirates "Shakin' All Over" was one of the most successful Australian singles of the 1960s.

Between 1965 and 1967 Rowe was Australia's most popular male star but his career was cut short when he was drafted for compulsory military service (called National Service in Australia) in late 1967. His subsequent tour of duty in Vietnam effectively ended his pop career. Unable to recapture the musical success he enjoyed at his peak in the 1960s, he carved out instead a career in theatre and television.

Michael Glenn Chugg AM (born 15 June 1947) is an Australian entrepreneur, businessman and concert tour promoter. As a promoter and manager he was a founder of Frontier Touring Company (1979–99) and Michael Chugg Entertainment (2000–present). On 8 June 1998, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia with the citation "for service to music and the performing arts, particularly in relation to the promotion of Australian artists and to fundraising for youth and children's charities". In 2010, he co-authored his autobiography, Hey, You in the Black T-Shirt: The Real Story of Touring the World's Biggest Acts, with journalist, Iain Shedden. In March 2014 on the 50th anniversary of his start as a promoter, Denis Handlin (ex CEO of Sony Music Australia) opined "Chuggy is noisy, wild, cantankerous, the oldest teenager I know and very often a nightmare to deal with. But somehow we all love him because he lives and sweats the business with 100 per cent persistence and passion". At the ARIA Music Awards of 2019 Chugg received the ARIA Industry Icon Award.

Reyne was born in Lagos, Nigeria.

He formed a band called Spiff Rouch. By early 1978 Spiff Rouch had split, and Reyne formed Clutch Cargo, with Binks, Robinson, Williams and his younger brother David Reyne.

In late 1978, Clutch Cargo was renamed Australian Crawl and started to gain popularity on the pub circuit. The band went on to sell more than one million albums in Australia in the 1980s.

In 1987, Reyne released his self titled debut solo album and started the "Rip it Up" tour. The first two singles released from the album, "Fall of Rome" and "Hammerhead.

His debut was followed in May 1989 by his next solo release, Hard Reyne, which featured the hits "House of Cards" (#17 ARIA Charts and "One More River" (#22 ARIA Charts.

In 1991, Electric Digger Dandy was released. ". It remains Reyne's highest-charting album in Australia, reaching No. 3 on the ARIA albums chart.

In 1992, he recorded a duet with country singer James Blundell. Later that year he joined former Sherbet frontman Daryl Braithwaite, Jef Scott and Simon Hussey to create the album Company of Strangers, which spawned three Australian top 50 singles: "Motor City ,"Sweet Love", "Daddy's Gonna Make You a Star.

October 1994 saw the release of his fourth album, on the RooArt label, The Whiff of Bedlam, recorded in Los Angeles with Stewart Levine.

Reyne returned to the studio in 1997 to work with producer Ashley Caddell. Now signed to Village Roadshow Music, the first release was "Brand New Emperor's Clothes" in October 1997.

In 2004 he released Speedboats for Breakfast, which included the singles "Bug" and "The Rainbow's Dead End".

Reyne hosted Dig, a music show on ABC2 (2006–2007), and made an appearance on The AFL Footy Show in Melbourne in 2006. In May 2007, he released a new studio album, Every Man a King, which features the singles "Light in the Tunnel" and "Little Man You've Had a Busy Day". A second acoustic album, Ghost Ships, was released in September 2007.

In April 2010 Reyne released, TCB (Taking Care of Business), a collection of Elvis Presley covers. The album debuted at number 32 on the ARIA Albums chart.

In the Australia Day Honours of 2014, Reyne was recognised with a Medal of the Order of Australia in the General Division "for service to the performing arts as a singer/songwriter, and through support for a range of charitable organisations".

Universal Records released a two-CD set, The Anthology, on 1 August 2014. The double album featured all of Reyne's earlier hits on Disc 1 and a collection of his more recent material and radio singles on the Disc 2. In late 2014, Reyne launched a "James Reyne Plays Australian Crawl" series of shows across Australia. Performing only songs from the Australian Crawl catalogue, Reyne stated it was the closest thing to a reunion as fans were ever to get.

In July 2019, Reyne released an original song titled "Fearless" for the Australian film Palm Beach soundtrack.

In April 2020, Reyne announced the release of his twelfth studio album Toon Town Lullaby, alongside the album's lead single of the same name. Toon Town Lullaby released in July 2020.

Temperley was born in 1978 in Mosman Park, Western Australia, and grew up in Fremantle. At seven years of age, his name was changed to 'Satyam Kavyen Temperley'—Temperley is his mother's maiden name and 'Satyam Kavyen' means "Poet of Truth".

The Temperley family were members of the 'Orange People' (Rajneesh movement) and made trips to India as well Oregon, United States, throughout the early 1980s.

Between the ages of seven and 12, Temperley attended the Lance Holt School, a Fremantle community school. At the age of thirteen, he accompanied his mother on a trip to India, where they stayed at the Osho International Meditation Resort in Pune. It was during this trip that he enrolled in an international alternative boarding school in Devon called Ko Hsuan that is based on the teachings of controversial Indian mystic Osho. Temperley was accepted as a boarder and remained at the school for a year:

“That was an amazing place, musically. They had a really good music room. If we had two periods of math, in between we'd run off and jam for 10 minutes. We'd come back and be totally chilled because we'd gotten all that nervous energy out of our systems.”

Temperley referred to his time at Ko Hsuan as his "saving grace", and it was there that he discovered a passion for music before he returned to Fremantle and John Curtin High School due to homesickness:

“Then I thought I was going to become an actor until I started wagging school and writing songs.”

Kav Temperley was frontman, bassist and songwriter of legendary Australian Rock band and 1990’s Indie icons, Eskimo Joe. With 6 studio albums under their belts and sales in excess of 750,000, in Australia alone, the band has seen 3 of those albums debut at number 1 on the ARIA charts, with steamroller ‘Black Fingernails, Red Wine’ shining for a monster 62 weeks in the ARIA Chart Top 50 and “Foreign Land”, from their 4th album ‘Inshalla', bringing home 2 APRA Awards, for Most Played Rock Song on Australian radio and Best Rock Song of 2010.

Austen Tayshus is always, as a matter of principle, pushing the boundaries, and entering the quagmire of Political Correctness throwing hand grenades all to stomp on narrow-mindedness and mediocrity to wake people up to alternative ideas.

He performs anywhere-from outback bowls clubs, to hipster pubs in Melbourne and Adelaide, Universities, Theatres, and Rock Concerts all over Australia, to refine  and define his craft.

When he strides on stage no-one he knows what is going to happen. He can improvise brilliantly, impersonate creatively, offend everyone, satirise anything and talk louder than anyone. He magically creates a masterful night of gut- laughing totally uncensored, exciting entertainment

Some people don’t like it, so he goes in harder. He shakes it up. He can control anY audience. If they do not like it, they should have stayed at home.

This is how he makes a living. Driving thousands of kilometres, a year, he has seen more of Australia than any other performer. He keeps doing it because   he loves it.

His biggest hit ‘Australiana,’broke sales records in Australia in 1983. It was on top  of the charts for 13 weeks and was the biggest selling single of the year and  remains the biggest selling Australian Single EVER.

But it is his love of Stand-Up that rules his life. He is a complete master at it. No audience, no hecklers, no drunken behaviour escapes his sharp tongue. He has never been one for the comfortable life, the easy fix, the day job, the tv talk show noddy drip feed, the comfort zone or the chasing of accolades.

Richard Clapton began his recording career in 1974. Australia was still in the vice-like grip of the cultural cringe. He plunged into the “deep water” and legends like Skyhooks and Paul Kelly, Cold Chisel, INXS, Midnight Oil, and hundreds of others, followed in his wake.

Clapton’s songs are still omnipresent on the radio to this day, his records charting the political landscape of the nation and the turbulent lives of two generations.

Clapton grew up in Sydney in the 1960s before hopping a plane for London, and then later to Germany, where he wrote a first album, Prussian Blue (1973) which was one of the first major Australian “singer-songwriter” albums.

Fast track to 1975, Clapton had the critics on side but his label at the time, Festival Records, insisted on a hit single. However, it was the song they picked as a B-side called “Girls On the Avenue” that reached #1 on the national charts and put Clapton at the top of his class. Like Americans Jackson Browne and Bruce Springsteen, Richard Clapton developed a sound based on melodic rock while his lyrics were poetic musings on his state of mind or the state of the nation.

In 1980 he released the searing Dark Spaces, an indictment on the meanness and mendacity that would blow through the 1980s.  Ten years after his first release, Richard Clapton was a tribal elder to whom younger artists like Jimmy Barnes, INXS and Cold Chisel turned as a mentor.

INXS asked Clapton to produce their second album, Underneath the Colours, and they became firm friends. They, and Cold Chisel, returned the favour on Clapton’s The Great Escape album with INXS drummer Jon Farriss going on to produce The Glory Road album.  Few records of that time captured the roller coaster ride of the late 1980s as well as Glory Road.

These albums brought Clapton’s melodic gifts and his love of electric rock & roll into lockstep.

In the 1990s Richard continued to write and record and tour and his 1990s songs reflect a hard-won maturity. Indeed, Richard counts 2003’s Diamond Mine as amongst his best albums – and the critics unanimously agreed.

In 1999 Richard Clapton was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.

In 2014, his first memoir “The Best Years of Our Lives” was published by Allen and Unwin. The book connected with people of all generations because it was not only a story of Clapton’s journey, but it also documented the story of the lives of thousands of fans who had travelled the same road. Young people – fascinated by how it was “back in the day” also became a new generation of fans. The book continues to flourish through “word of mouth”, resonating with so many people in so many ways

Richard Clapton has never been rich. He has never had the pleasure of passing through life in a luxurious rock star bubble. In a career that now spans over 40 years he has battled everything from bad managers and capricious record companies to debt, taxes, personal tragedy and a thousand room service dinners. The fact that he’s come through it all with his sanity intact surprises all who know and love him.

David Sean Gleeson, (born 3 June 1968) is the lead singer of Australian hard rock group The Screaming Jets. He was born in Newcastle, New South Wales .  . Gleeson formed his first rock band, Aspect, in 1985, with school pal, Grant Walmsley.

In January 1989 Gleeson on lead vocals and Walmsley on guitar, were joined by Brad Heaney on drums, Richard Lara on guitar and Paul Woseen on bass guitar, to form The Screaming Jets as a hard rock band in Newcastle. Within twelve months they had performed more than 280 live shows, they established a reputation for being one of the best young live bands in Australia, winning the praises and support slots of The Angels, The Choirboys and The Radiators.

By late 1989, The Screaming Jets had won youth radio station Triple J's National Band Competition. They signed a recording deal with the leading independent label rooArt. The Screaming Jets moved from their hometown Newcastle to Sydney's notorious Kings Cross district in early 1990, and recorded their debut album All For One in mostly midnight to dawn sessions at a local studio, after playing live shows seven nights a week.

In 2006, Gleeson appeared as the vocal coach for actress Kate Fischer in the televised celebrity singing competition It Takes Two. He returned to the show in 2007 and partnered with TV presenter, Julia Zemiro.

In early 2011 Gleeson was offered a radio show with the Triple M network. By mid-year he was hosting two shows, Access All Areas and Rock of Ages, interviewing artists including Jimmy Barnes and Don McLean, and giving an inside view of the music industry. Late that year Gleeson recorded an album, Take It to the Streets (31 August 2012), with his childhood idols, The Angels, as their new lead singer, and they completed a national tour.

On 19 June 2016 at the Governor Hindmarsh - Adelaide, Dave Gleeson was inducted into The South Australian Music Hall Of Fame, alongside The Angels.

On 31 January 2022 he returned to Australian rock radio station Triple M filling the 7-10pm nightly slot with his new show Triple M nights with Dave Gleeson broadcasting across Australia from Triple M Adelaide studio.